JEANIE MILEY: Everyone capable of failure, mistakes

Those words, spoken with a look of horror, a shaking of the head or pursed lips indicate a revulsion toward something somebody else is doing. Without a doubt, the tone of the message is one of judgment, censure and condemnation.

Maybe there is even a little self-righteousness in the declaration. Or a lot.

In times past, I have climbed up on my lofty perch of pride to profess that I could never do that thing that I find so disgusting or alarming. I've made pronouncements about things I would not tolerate, puffing myself up with self-contrived confidence in my own ability to avoid particular things that other people do.

However, as my mother used to say, "The higher they fly, the flatter they fall."

I gave up making any proclamations about what I would or would not ever do when I heard a quote attributed to a wise man of the fourth century, Tertullian, who declared that what was possible for any man was possible for him.

The truth of that statement rang a warning bell in my mind, alerting me to the reality that every human being is capable of the mistakes and failures and even the atrocities that any other human being might do, given the same circumstances.

Tertullian sort of leveled the playing field, didn't he? His wisdom and my mother's both keep me in the state of awareness that "there but for the grace of God go I" whereas I used to say, "I would/could never do that."

On the other hand, there's always another facet to the human creature.

"I never thought I could do that!" can be spoken about those things that aren't so pride-worthy, but there are moments in life when it is possible to reach down inside oneself and call on strength you didn't know you had, distances you didn't know you could run, tasks you didn't think you could do and depths of love and compassion, tolerance and acceptance, mercy and forgiveness that you could never have imagined you could summon until the moment called for just exactly what you were able to muster to meet the need of the moment.

In those times when you performed beyond your ability and did more than you thought you could do, there is a kind of wonder and euphoria about the experience, and perhaps you relive it over and over in your mind. When you can move beyond your limitations, transcend your fears, overcome your biases or prejudices, your phobias and your timidity and live up to the challenge of the moment, the only appropriate response is not inflation and self-pride, but humility and gratitude.

I suppose there is nothing quite as exhilarating as being infused with the power of the one who is greater than oneself to rise to the occasion of the moment. To experience the power to do what you would never have imagined you could do is a rare gift, indeed.

That same power greater than ourselves that is available to help us act beyond our courage or capacity for good is also available when we are confronted with those things we do not want to do.

Part of living the human experience, then, is recognizing that each of us has it in us to make choices that are life-giving, life-affirming and healthy, and each of us has it in us to make choices that are death-dealing, life-denying and damaging.

The good news is that there is available to all of us that power greater than ourselves that can keep us from doing the things we don't want to do and to do the things we must do. Either way, that power does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, and that is truly miraculous.

You may say, "I'll believe it when I see it," and you may miss it, for when it comes to mystery, the rule of thumb is, "You'll see it when you believe it."

Jeanie Miley, a former San Angelo resident, is an inspirational author and speaker. Her column appears Saturdays. Email her at jeaniemiley19@aol.com.